After a week of lying low, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has once again geared up to hit the poll trail from Tuesday. His party, the JD(U), has already booked three helicopters for the campaign for star campaigners like Nitish Kumar and party president Sharad Yadav.
Kumar already finished the first round of connecting with the people across the State under his Sankalp Yatra programme. He demanded special status for Bihar as his party’s main poll plank during the Sankalp Yatra.
“The party has chalked out a detailed programme for Nitish Kumar which is scheduled to begin from March 25. He will be campaigning first in all six constituencies which are going to poll in the first phase”, said Sanjay Gandhi, JD(U) MlC and in charge of party affairs.
Gandhi informed that Nitish will hit his second round of poll campaigning from Chainpur Sasaram, from where a former IAS officer K P Ramaiah has been pitched on JD (U) ticket against formidable Congress candidate Meira Kumar and BJP’s Chhedi Paswan. Chhedi Paswan had recently defected from JD (U) and joined the BJP to contest the lS poll from Sasaram reserved constituency.
Meanwhile, staying at Patna, Nitish Kumar has settled the internal bickering which has been bogging his party for sometime. He went to the residence of Narendra Kumar, party leader and Agriculture Minister in his Cabinet and resolved some of the issues raised by Narendra Singh. Singh was said to be unhappy with the way JD (U) has distributed the party tickets to outsiders for the upcoming lS polls.
“Yes, Nitish Kumar came over and we had a good discussion. He has assured to resolve the issues which I raised earlier. Now, it’s fine and I’ll be campaigning for the party candidates in the coming days”, said Singh.
Similarly, Nitish Kumar also talked to some other disgruntled party leaders over the phone to sort out their grievances against the party. “He made good use of his week-long stay at Patna and did his best to resolve the simmering discontent within the members of his party, including ticket distribution”, said a party leader.
Now, with all well and the ticket distribution exercise is over, Nitish Kumar is all geared up to plunge into the poll from March 25, he added further.me to resolve the issues which I had raised earlier. Now, its all over and I’ll be campaigning for the party candidates in the coming days”, said Narendra Singh.
Similarly, Nitish Kumar also talked to some other disgruntled party leaders over phone and even met them at his official residence to sort out their grievances against the party.“He made good use of his week long stay at Patna and did his best to resolve the simmering discontent within partymen over some issues, including the ticket distribution”, said a party leader.
Now, with all well and the ticket distribution exercise are over Nitish Kumaris all geared up to plunge into the poll again from March 25, said he further.
The party, said sources, had roped in services of three helicopters, one for Nitish Kumar and the other two for other senior party leaders to campaign for the party candidates across the state. Nitish Kumar is the only star campaigner for his party candidates.
Meanwhile, said JD-U sources, Nitish Kumar was also in touch with Mukhias, village heads to get feedback of the ground about electoral prospects of candidates in their respective areas as many of the party leaders had defected and contesting poll on other party’s ticket.
Similarly, many others have come from other parties to his flock and contesting the poll. “This time it has become a total mis-match of party candidates as the number of turncoats have become bigger in size”, observed a state BJP leader.
As many as five BJP leaders are contesting the lok Sabha poll on JD-U ticket this time and 4 JD-U leaders have become BJP nominee in the electoral fray. On the eve of the poll altogether 10 leaders in BJP has come from outside while 13 joined JD-U from outside.
Though, both the BJP and JD- leaders earlier had declared not to nominate party MlAs in the Parliamentary poll this time, altogether four JD-U MlAs are in the fray while five BJP MlAs have jumped into the poll arena.